Mist extractor



Feb. 23, 1932.`

A. F. CLARKE` MIST EXTRACTOR Filed June 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l n ff@ a Il# 3mm/H501: f9.5 Clark?, ec, H ne, n y Cfu/re.

ExecX, .ewg

Feb. 23, 1932. A, F CLM@A 1,846,248

MI S T EXTRACTOR Filed June 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ln/ventola e A. F. Clarke, 02M,

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Patented Feb. 23, 1932 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .arianna s. cnam, Dicomano, LATE or TULSA, OKLAHOMA, BY NELL MAY cLAnxE,

l i ExEcUTnIx, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA,

HIST EXTRACTOB Application illed .Tune 25,

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus of the type used for contacting liquids and gases or for separating mixtures of liquids and gases.

lhese improvements may be employed with absorption towers, rectifyiiig columns, oil and gas separators, or the like. In such apparatus, the gas in the tower rises and the liquid descends, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a mist extractor' tor positively separating entrained liquid troni-the gas, just before the gas is discharged from .the top of the tower. The improved inist extractor removes from the gas or vapor be carried into the inist extractor zone by tie gas.

illiiotlier object is to furnish a inist extractor especially adapted i'or use with a bubble cap, nozzle, nipple or other suitable appliance or port in a deck arranged 1n the column, such extractor havin a spiral baille which the entrained liqui collects as the gas whirls through the inist extractor.

l/ltith the foregoing objects outlined and 'with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, lilig. l is a vertical sectional view of th upper portion of a rectifying column or absorption tower, and showing the improved inist eirtractors applied over bubble caps on the top deck of the column.

limig. 2 is a hoitlzontal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of one uit the niistextractors and bubble caps.

lligd is a vertical sectional view of the naine on the line 4.-*4 of Fig. 3, and showing u bubble cap in full lines, arranged therein.

Fig'. 5 is a side elevation partly in vertical section oi an oil and gas separator' provided with the improved mist extractors.

Fig. tl is a top plan View of the saine.

l is a horizontal sectional view on the line il-i7 of Fig. 5.,

into a 1929. Serial IO. 373,836.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. l to 4 inclusive, 10 indicates the shell of an absorption tower or rectifyin column, which is provided with superposed decks 11, 12, 13 having suitable apertures 14 through which gas introduced into the co1- uinn, rises. The liquid introduced into the column through a pipe 15, flows over the upper deck, and then descends through trap pipes 16 to the second deck 12. .The liquid flows over this deck and is discharged over a Weir 17, into a passageway 18', which conveys the liquid to the third deck 13. Liquid flowing over this deck will pass over a Weir 19, passageway 20, which conducts it to the next lower deck and so on. The bubble caps which it is preferred to employ, are of the type shown in patent application Serial N o. 285,572, filed June 15, 1928, and the gas after passing through tangential slits 21, in these caps, whirlsthrough the li uid on the decks, and is finally discharged t rough the gas or vapor outlet 22 at the top of the column.

In absorption towers, rectifying columns or the like, the rising gas or vapor may carry some entrained liquid, and as it is desirable to separate such liquid from the gases or vapors leaving the column, each bubble cap on the top deck is provided with a mist extractor 23. Such extractor is best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and preferably consists of a frusto-conical tube 24 having a spiral thread or baille 25 arranged on its inner surface. As the gas or vapors are discharged by the bub- .ble cap into the tube 24, the spiral baille acts to whirl the gas trained liquid on the inner surface of the tube and on the baille, due to centrifugal action. The liquid thus collected, gravitates down the interior of the tube and is finally deposited in the lliquid pool on the deck. To permit this, the tube is provided with notches 26 at its lower edge, to allow free passage of liquid along the deck, to and from the interior of the tube. Each tube is preferably provided with apair of apertured ears 27, to receive any suitable fastening devices, suchhs and cause the deposit of endesignated 30.

rivets 28, that may be employed to secure the mist extractor to the deck. It may be seen from Figs. 3 and 4 that the tangential ports 21 of thepbubble caps on the'top deck function to whirl the rising gas through the liquid on that deck, and as the sp-iral baiiies 25 are arranged to coincide with the direction of movement of the gas, this whirling action of the gas will be continued until the gas is discharged from the upper end of the extractors. t

Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, showan improved type of oil and gas separator, provided with these mist extraetors. In this embodiment of the invention, the shell of the separator is The mixture of oil and as is introduced tangentially into the cylin rical shell by means of the pipe 31, and t-he gas is discharged at 32, and the liquid exits through the pipes 33. Arranged within the shell are horizontal decks 34, 35 and 36 which are secured in position by any suitable means. A perforated pipe 37 extends downwardly through the lower deck, and it functions to convey gas and entrained liquids from the zone below the lower deck to the zone above the lower deck. Any condensate or liquid deposited on the lower deck will over ow downwardly through the pipe 38 into the lower end of the shell. This pipe is suspended from the deck 36 by any suitable means. At this point 'it will be noted that the deck 36 is imperforate with the exception of the two apertures with which it is provided to accommodate the pipes 37 and 38. The decks 34 and 35 are substantially alike, and each has a number of circularly arranged series of apertures 39 to accommodate the'rising gas and vapors so that such gas and vapors may move from one zone to the next higher zone, and so on; and each series of these apertures is combined with `one of the improved mist extractors 40 of the type shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so that the gas and vapor rising through the decks will be whirled by the spirals of the mist extractors to cause precipitation of the entrained liquids which will be discharged through the notches 41 on to the deck. Liquid deposited on the upper deck, ilows downwardly through a pipe 42 on to the lower deck, and liquid deposited on the intermediate deck, lows downwardly on to the lower deck through a pipe 43.

In the operation of this embodiment of the invention, the mixture o oil and as enters the shell through the inlet 31, and ue to the tangential arrangement of this inlet, and the circular` internal surface oi -the shell, the mixture will be whirledso that the major portion of the liquid will be deposited on the inner surface of theshel] due -to centrifugal force. Of course, this liquid 'will gravitate to the bottom ortion of the shell. After this initial or roug separation, the gas with entrained liquid rise-3I through the perforated pipe 37,

and owing to the perforations being small,

an additional amount of the liquid will be separated from the gas, and this liquid will also flow down into the lower end of the shell. The gas and entrained liquid discharging from the upper end of the pipe 3T, now rise through the series of ports 39 in the deck 35, and are whirled by the baiiles in the mist extractors 40, so that there is a further separation of oil from the gas.` The oil thus separated, lows throuUh the notches 41, on to the deck 35, and finazlly overflows through the pipe 43. The as, from which practically all of the liquid as now been separated, then rises through the apertures 39 of the top deck, where the separatin(r action is continued, and the liquid deposited on this deck overflows through the pipe 42. The gas finally freed of entrained liquid, is discharged through the pipe 32.'

In the foregoing description, preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth, but it is manifest that changes may be made in the details disclosed, without depart ing from the spirit of t e invention, as expressed in the claims.

Vhat is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A mist extractor, comprising a hollow tubular frusto-conical member having its smaller end uppermost, and provided at its larger end with means to permit the securing of the same to an apparatus with which the extractor is to be used, a spiral baffle rigidly mounted with the inner surface of the tubular member and extending from one end of the tubular member to the other, the lower end portion of the wall of tubular member being provided with apertures to permit liquid to iiow through the wall thereof.

2. A mist extractor for use in separating entrained liquids from flowing vases, com- 23 prising a vertically disposed hollow member provided on its inner surface with means rigidly united therewith or causing gases travelllng upwardly therethrough to whirl and by centrifugal action,

liquids from the gases, means for introducing the gases carrying entrained liquid into the lower end of said member, and means for discharging the precipitated liquid from the lower end of said member.

3. A mist extractor .for use in separating entrained liquids from flowing gases, comprising a vertically disposed hollow member prvided on its inner surface with means rigidly united therewith or causing gases travelling upwardly therethrough to whirl and by centrifugal action, precipitate entrained liquids from the gases, means for introducing the gases carrying entrained liquid into the lower end of said member, and means for discharging the precipitated liquid from the lower` end of said member, said tubular precipitate entrained member being of frustro-conical shape with its reduced end uppermost.

4. A mist extractor for use in separating entrained liquid from flowing fi-gases, comprising a vertically disposed hollow tubular member provided on its inner surface with means rigidly united therewith for causing gases travelling upwardly therethrough to whirl and by centrifugal action, precipitate entrained liquids from said gases, means for introducing said gases taugentially into the lower end of the tubular member, and means for discharging recipitated li uid from the lower end of said tubular mem r.

5, A mist extractor for separating entrained liquid from fiowing gases, comprising a vertically disposed hollow tubular member provided on its inner surface with a spiral aiiie rigidly united therewith for causing gases travelling upwardly therethrough to t Whirl and by centrifugal action, precipitate entrained liquid from said gases, said member being of frusto-conical shape, with its smaller end uppermost, and means for discharging said gases into the lower end of the member and for directing the same against the inner surface of said member.

6. A. mist extractor for use in separating entrained liquid from flowing gases, com prising a hollow tubular member provided on its inner surface with means rigidly united therewith for causing gases travelling upwardly therethrough to whirl and by centrifugal action, precipitate entrained liquid from the gases, means at the lower end of the tubular member for discharging the precipitated liquid through the wall of the tubular member, and means for introducing said ,ibeases into the lower end of Said tubular mem- 7. A mist extractor of the character described, including a vertically disposed hollow tubular frusto-conical member having on its inner surface, a spiral baffle, the lower end ot said member forming an inlet for gases carrying entrained liquid, and the u per end ot the member forming an outlet or gases from which the liquid has been separated, the lower end of the wall of said member havin "iorts for discharging preci itated liqui rom the interior of said inem er.

NELL MAY CLARKE, Execute@ of Artw/r F. Ularse, Deceased. 

